Margaret Russo
| Margaret Russo | |||
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| All-American Girls Professional Baseball League | |||
| Shortstop | |||
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Born: September 29, 1931 Milton, New York |
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Died: June 26, 2006 (aged 74) Milton, New York |
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Margaret Russo [née Jones] (September 29, 1931 – June 26, 2006) was a shortstop who played from 1950 through 1954 in the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League. Listed at 5 ft 4 in (1.63 m), 130 lb., she batted and threw right-handed.
A two-time All Star, Margaret Russo was a consistent defensive player and a solid hitter in the AAGPBL during the final five years of its existence. Russo led all shortstops in the league in fielding average during two seasons, while converting 138 double plays in 497 career games. A valuable contact hitter, she was usually able to put the ball in play while working counts and seldom striking out, collecting a .332 on-base percentage and a 1.71 walk-to-strikeout ratio. Additionally, she overcame the disadvantages of moving from one place to another constantly, playing with four teams in four different cities while adjusting to new teammates, as the league switched players as needed to help teams to be competitive.
Born in Milton, New York, Russo graduated from Marlboro High School in 1949. Previous to her baseball career, she worked for a while in a print shop and for a local winery. She entered the league in 1950 with the Peoria Redwings, playing for them two years before joining the Battle Creek Belles (1952), Muskegon Belles (1953) and Rockford Peaches (1954).
In her rookie season of 1950, Russo had a batting average of .132 in 93 games. She improved in 1951, batting .247 with 66 runs and 22 stolen bases in 106 games, including six doubles, four triples and two home runs, while ranking 10th in the league with 51 runs batted in, and turned in 25 double plays with a .918 fielding average.
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